Attorney John J. Driscoll of The Driscoll Firm, P.C., has filed a lawsuit in Illinois alleging that three Pradaxa patients died and four more were injured after taking a blood-thinner manufacturered by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and Bidachem.

John J. Driscoll

The manufacturers’ defective design in making Pradaxa and failure to adequately warn of its dangers make them liable for the injuries suffered by the plaintiffs and the deaths of the other plaintiffs’ relatives, the lawsuit alleges.

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) June 28, 2013

Nationally recognized drug injury lawyer John J. Driscoll and The Driscoll Firm, P.C., are representing 10 people from seven states in a new lawsuit alleging that fraud and misrepresentation by drug makers Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and Bidachem about the blood thinner Pradaxa led to the plaintiffs’ injuries or the deaths of their relatives.

Plaintiffs from Texas, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, South Carolina, Delaware, Missouri and California filed the Pradaxa lawsuit on May 31 in St. Clair County Circuit Court in Illinois. (Case No. 13-L-273). The lawsuit seeks actual and punitive damages in addition to other relief.

According to the complaint, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and Bidachem sell Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) as a treatment to reduce the likelihood of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm.

The drug is an anticoagulant. It works by blocking an enzyme in the blood involved in blood clotting. Blood clots can cause strokes.

The complaint alleges that Pradaxa’s makers misrepresented the drug as safe and effective even though they knew and multiple studies later confirmed that there was no antidote for the drug, and that patients could experience uncontrollable bleeding after taking Pradaxa.

The pharmaceutical companies negligently failed to use due care in developing Pradaxa, failed to accompany Pradaxa with appropriate warnings, disseminated misleading information, failed to provide appropriate rates of irreversible bleeds associated with the drug and failed to conduct adequate trials, among other negligent actions, the lawsuit claims.

“Defendants concealed their knowledge that Pradaxa can cause life-threatening, irreversible bleeds from Plaintiffs, Plaintiff’s Decedents, other consumers, the general public and the medical community,” the complaint alleges.

Boehringer Ingelheim and Bidachem concealed the potential dangers of taking Pradaxa when it was first marketed it in North America in October 2010 because they expected sales of the drug to generate generous profits, the suit alleges. The companies have yet to adequately caution the public as to the dangers of the drug, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit claims that three individuals, represented by their survivors, died after ingesting Pradaxa as an atrial fibrillation treatment. It further alleges that four plaintiffs each had to be hospitalized with chronic bleeding after being prescribed and taking Pradaxa for long-term treatment of atrial fibrillation.

The manufacturers’ defective design in making Pradaxa and failure to adequately warn of its dangers make them liable for the injuries suffered by the plaintiffs and the deaths of the other plaintiffs’ relatives, the lawsuit alleges.

The attorney said that others who believe they may have been injured by the drug, or who have lost family members who were taking Pradaxa, should consult a lawyer who has experience handling large drug injury cases.

The Driscoll Firm, P.C., reviews individuals’ cases at no charge in an initial consultation and pursues lawsuits on a contingency fee basis, the veteran attorney said.

About The Driscoll Firm, P.C.

The Driscoll Firm, P.C., is dedicated to fighting for the rights of people and families injured by the wrongful acts of individuals and companies. The firm is currently investigating national injury claims involving product liability, defective drugs, dangerous medical devices, medical malpractice, car accidents, premises liability, spinal cord injuries, birth injuries, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, Erb’s palsy and other circumstances that have caused serious injury or death. The Driscoll Firm, P.C., is based at 211 N. Broadway, 40th Floor, St. Louis, MO, 63102, and serves clients nationwide. To learn more, call (800) 305-9800 or use the firm’s online contact form.